Re: -- An article in the Canadian press complaining about the "oppression" of monarchy and urgining canooks to find identity, self worth and freedom by getting rid of the Windsors.
What canards!! Constitutional monarchies are hardly undemocratic. Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Holland and Spain are all fine examples of parliamentary monarchies. In fact King Juan Carlos of Spain led his country back to democracy.
Appointing some boring businessman or librarian laureate as head of state simply doesn't work. They invariably are dull, drab, non-entities (like our GG, in fact) and no more symbolically "Canadian" or "Australian" or "German" than a wet blanket on a pole.
Of course, Charles is one to make monarchists swallow hard. In fact one could say that Charles is very nearly what a state-president would be like. But we should adopt the long view and think beyond his tenure.
Most of Europe's present day royals have a practiced poise. They provide ceremony, a sense of continuity and a focus of unity above the fray. Last but not least they provide a familial human face to that otherwise cold and impersonal entity known as "the State".
I see nothing oppressive or "un-Canadian" in it, and think we would do well to keep our sovereigns. If Charles un-inspires... think of Coolidge, Harding and Reagan.... We could do worse... far worse.
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